Monthly Committee Meeting

Date: 19^th January 2009

Venue: Strings

Time: 1900 hrs

Present:                   Janet Farrow (Chairman)                        PRES

            Julie Greening (Sec)                              PRES

            Michelle Harwood (Vice Chairman)          NOT PRESENT

                                Bill Ritter                                             PRES

                                Dave Witts                                           PRES

                                Jane Lucking (Treasurer)                        PRES

                                Steve Tandy (Minutes Sec)                     PRES

                                Angie Thompson                                    PRES

                                John Lucking                                         PRES

                                Julie Irwin (Publicity)                            NOT PRESENT

                                TBCllr John McCloy                                PRES

                                TTCllr Vernon Smith                               PRES

                                TTCllr Tina Brookes                                PRES

                                TTCllr Andy Smith                                  PRES

                                TBCllr (PP) Brian Calway (Mayor)             PRES

 

AGENDA

1.       Minutes from last meeting – Janet Farrow

2.       Matters arising from last minutes – Janet Farrow

3.       Community Centre fund application – Brian Calway

4.       Boys Brigade Headquarters – Update – John McCloy/Brian Calway

5.       Emergency Centres – Julie Irwin

6.       Tewkesbury School Project – Julie Greening/Dave Witts

7.       Newsletter/Leaflet distribution list – Julie Greening

8.       Tewkesbury in Bloom – Janet Farrow/Julie Greening

9.       Any Other Business

 

1.       Before the minutes from last meeting were approved the chairman welcomed the Mayor, Borough and Town Councillors present. The minutes were then approved by the committee.

2.       There were no matters arising from last minutes.

3.       Brian Calway was asked to come along and talk about setting up a Community Centre if Newtown is to have one. He said the first thing to establish is the land to build the centre on. He has been involved with setting up the Priors Park Community Centre and the cost for that was £300K and Chris Smith had got the money from the Tewkesbury Borough Council. Newtown would have to go through a similar process. Pete Antill needs to be asked about the process. Need to start with a proper business plan before funding is sought.  The plot of land was then discussed – Walton Cardiff Lane Playing Field? Thought to be too remote. Tewkesbury School/Tirlebrook School land? Possible traffic problem but thought to be the best site. £800K maybe required to fund the Centre. Newtown needs to be seen to be very active with community activities i.e. societies and clubs needing a place to meet. Any approaches to the schools maybe from County Councillors Graham Dawson and Barbara Cromwell.

4.       John McCloy said a report about the situation with the Boys Brigade Headquarters had been sent to the TBC Executive Committee. John was unable to attend the first meeting of the Exec Committee but another meeting was imminent and there should be a resolution to the situation. He would report back with any news.

5.       Julie Irwin was to talk about Emergency Centres but was unable to attend this meeting; Julie Greening spoke about the ideas behind it. There would be wardens set up at every road and these would be contacted by the Emergency Services when required. Extra assistance if required would be supplied by the Severn and Avon Emergency Rest Centre committee. Both Town and Borough Councils have similar ideas on Emergency Centres. A Basic Emergency Plan is to be written for Newtown with it is thought Tewkesbury School as the Emergency Rest Centre for Newtown – John McCloy to confirm this. NACRA will try and get the co-ordinator from Gloucestershire County Council to come and explain about Emergency Centres at the next General Meeting.

6.       Janet Farrow read a report from students of Tewkesbury School about the project to find out what students want for activities/clubs etc in Tewkesbury. It went into some detail, and it was thought that NACRA would invite the students to the next General Meeting to further explain the plan.

7.       The original distribution list for distributing any newsletters or leaflets to the people of Newtown cannot be found, a new list was compiled as follows:

NEWSLETTER/LEAFLET DELIVERY LIST-20.01.09                                   

NAME:                                  DELIVER TO:      

Janet Farrow                      Ashchurch Road              

Julie Greening                    Wellfield

                                         Elmbury Drive

                                         Walton Close    

Dave Witts                         Canterbury Leys              

                                         Wilding Close    

Vernon Smith                      Milne Pastures 

                                         Furrowfield       

                                         Elmvil Road        

                                         Gannaway Lane               

Angie Thompson                  Newtown Lane

                                         Springfield         

John & Jane Lucking            Moulder Road  

                                         Spa Gardens     

                                         1/2 Churchill Grove         (liaise with Bill)

Bill Ritter                            Tirlebank Way  

                                          Pyke Road          

                                         1/2 Churchill Grove         (liaise with John & Jane)

Steve Tandy                       Knights Way      

Tina Brookes                       Rosefield Crescent         

                                         Brensham Road               

                                         Tretawn Gardens            

Andy Smith                         Kings Gate         

                                         Walton House/Mews    

                                                

 

8.       Janet Farrow and Julie Greening had attended a Tewkesbury in Bloom (T in B) meeting where volunteers and funding was being sought. After some discussion about whether NACRA should get involved or no with T in B, it was thought that NACRA would stay independent of T in B and ask for keen gardening people to coordinate the flower beds in front of Knights Way at the next General Meeting. This is because John McCloy had asked if he could stand down as organiser of the flower beds after coordinating the job and doing much of the work himself for over four years. NACRA gave John their thanks for coordinating the work and making Newtown look a better place to live in. There was some money allocated to Newtown from TBC (thought about £400) and some of the flower beds had local firm’s sponsorship.  Vernon Smith is to get information about Glos Trust for planting trees (thought about 10) as this was also thought a good idea for this land. The beds are planted in June and again in October. ANYONE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER please contact a NACRA committee member.

9.       Any Other Business

(a)    John McCloy said he had been approached from about 10 people complaining about the problems around the area of the goalposts erected at Canterbury Leys. Dave Witts said he had canvassed people that were in at the time about the erection of the goalposts by the builders after repair work had been done to housing in Canterbury Leys and no one had objected. TBC had agreed the posts could be erected, so why were people now complaining? Any further complaints should be directed to the Town Hall.

(b)   John McCloy then stated that he was very upset with the last NACRA meeting where he was asked to leave, along with other councillors, and then a matter was discussed about letters written to John as a Tewkesbury Borough Councillor by the Severn and Avon Group. He was upset that NACRA could not talk face to face instead of asking him to leave. Dave Witts stated that if John felt he had been slighted in any way based on hearsay from a confidential meeting that he would apologise. After John had left the meeting it was agreed that Dave should apologise to John because we all need to work together. 

The next meeting is a General Meeting at Tirlebrook School on Tuesday 10^th February at 7.pm. There will be leaflets to distribute advertising the General Meeting. 

ALL NACRA COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO MEET AT 6.30pm TO DISCUSS THE AGENDA 

There will be a raffle to support funds for NACRA, could committee members please donate a raffle prize.

Vernon Smith offered to talk about Internal Drainage Board for about 10 min at the GM.

Next NACRA meeting Monday March 16^th at Strings 7.00pm